BCNN1 – The National Black Church Initiative, in partnership with major black religious leaders and denominations nationwide, believe that African American men have nowhere to go but back to church. In a press statement, the NBCI said “given the serious issues facing African American men, including rising levels of incarceration, drug use and unwed fatherhood – we can no longer stand by while our men openly defy God’s word.”

Rev. Anthony Evans, President of NBCI says, “NBCI has no other greater mission than to reestablish God’s order – the first step being to call our men back to church. We are committed to devoting a half a million dollars and a million hours of evangelism to get black men back into our pews. There is something missing from the heart of the black church – the presence of our black brothers will heal hearts, minds and families.”

African Americans represent the strongest church attendance and affiliation amongst all ethnicities in the United States. According to the Pew Forum 2007 survey, people of black ethnicity were most likely to be part of a formal religion, with 85% being Christians. However, according to the Barna Research Group, a Christian research firm based in Ventura, Calif., more than 90% of American men believe in God, and 5 out of 6 call themselves Christian. But only 2 out of 6 attend church on any given Sunday. This means that in America, 60% of church attendees are women.

Black women overwhelmingly outnumber black men in regular church attendance. While black men may believe in God, in most cases it ends with belief. If single black women are attending church regularly and following the guidelines that the church has put in place and the black men are not, what does this say about the future of the black family?

NBCI believes the first step in repairing our families is for our African American brothers is to return to church – atoning for their sins and reestablishing their relationship with God through Christ. Over the next ten years the organization will develop comprehensive ministries to sustain this initiative and commit African American men to the path of righteousness.

NBCI invites Christians to encourage our African American men to join in as we reunite as a whole on Sunday, September 25th, 2011 – welcoming black men back to church for the first of many Sundays.